Log flacing and parting apparatus

ABSTRACT

A unified primary flacer mill for the selective reduction of roundwood to bark, bolts for decorative veneer, wood flakes or chips, lumber and timbers for use as such or for subsequent reduction to flat sliced rectangular veneer. The mill consists of two independent systems for producing bark and flakes or chips. Thinnings and other small wood to eight inches in diameter are delivered to one station. Larger roundwood possibly suitable for lumber or timbers is delivered to other stations. Flaking or chipping and surfacing heads replace saws for all outside cuts. Apparatus provides adequate support for the wood during flacing and parting and good operator view of the work for selective breakdown.

United States Patent 1 Johnson [54] LOG FLACING AND PARTING APPARATUSDonald L. Johnson, 3 Conway Springs Drive, Tacoma, Wash. 63107 22 Filed:Dec.2l, 1971 [21.] Appl. No.: 210,500

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 860,970, Sept.25, 1969, Pat. No. 3,650,307, which is a division of Ser. No. 635,639,April 12, 1967, Pat. No. 3,472,296.

[76] Inventor:

11] 3,744,539 July 10, 1973 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 78,4296/1962 France 144/312 Primary Examiner-Gerald A. Dost Attorney-RichardP. Alberi [5 7] ABSTRACT A unified primary flacer mill for the selectivereduction of roundwood to bark, bolts for decorative veneer, wood flakesor chips, lumber and timbers for use as such or for subsequent reductionto flat sliced rectangular veneer. The mill consists of two independentsystems for producing bark and flakes or chips. Thinnings and othersmall wood to eight inches in diameter are delivered to one station.Larger roundwood possibly suitable for lumber or timbers is delivered toother stations. Flaking or chipping and surfacing heads replace saws forall outside cuts. Apparatus provides adequate support for the woodduring flac ing and parting and good operator view of the work forselective breakdown.

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sum 5 ar 5 LOG FLACING AND PARTING APPARATUS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATEDAPPLICATIONS This is a division of my co-pending application entitled:APPARATUS FOR PRIMARY BREAKDOWN OF ROUNDWOOD, filed Sept. 25, I969; Ser.No. 860,970, now US. Pat. No. 3,650,307 which in turn is a division ofmy earlier application entitled: PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRIMARYBREAKDOWN OF ROUNDWOOD, filed Apr. 12, I967; Ser. No. 635,639, now US.Pat. No. 3,472,296, and is related to my companion application entitled:METHOD AND MEANS FOR IMPROVED PRODUCTION OF WOOD FLAKES, filed Apr. 12,1967; Ser. No. 630,396, now US. Pat. No. 3,526,258.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to apparatus for the primary breakdown of tree length-maximumtruck length and other roundwood to bark and either thick or thin woodflakes or chips and selectively to bolts for decorative veneer, longtimbers if desired, short timbers, and may clear, factory or shop andprogrammed sizes of common lumber as residuals of flake production,employing any cutterhead of my earlier inventions now issued US. Pat.Nos. 2,889,859; 2,949,946; 2,969,079; 3,240,245; 3,245,442, 3,262,476;and 3,526,258. Any cutterhead, particularily any disc type cutterheadcapable of the combined production of wood flakes or chips andflat'surfaces while moving the wood in a longitudinal direction may beused with this invention.

The above issued patents are concerned primarily with the cutting offlakes and an optional flat surface from and upon the side of a log,cant or board. For this operation applicant has coined the word flace,i.e., a combination of flake" and face, meaning the simultaneous flakingor chipping and facing performed by the cutterhead assembly of theseinventions or any other cutterhead capable of combined production offlakes or chips and a flat surface, and referred to hereinafter as theoperation of flacing or to flace and the machine as a flacer.

Stated more simply, the present process and apparatus invention pertainsto a new standardized and universally useful primary log breakdown millfor the wood industry. Since this new mill is based primarily uponemployment of the flacer, it will be referred to hereinafter as a flacermill.

2. Problems The flacer has capability and limitations which must berecognized in its application to primary breakdown of roundwood.

In orthogonal cutting of veneer and the like, the cutting edge isparallel with the fiber of the wood, moves in one plane andperpendicular to the fiber. In a veneer lathe, the knife edge isparallel with the axis of rotation. Except for taper and othervariations, cutting is parallel with the fiber. However, since theveneer knife cuts spiral or cupped veneer, lathe cutting is not trueorthoganol cutting.

nally along the blade as well as transverselyand always somewhatoff-parallel.

In a flacer this most advantageous slicing of flakes (veneer) occurssince motion of the cutting edge is in one plane, across the wood grain,generally off-parallel and accompanied by longitudinal feeding of thewood. The only problem is to limit the deviation from parallel (thewidth of face to be flaced) so that it is not too large.

In the cutting of flakes, as each flake is cut and broken from theparent wood, it leaves a flat spiral-ended surface which becomes theface of the next flake or the surface on the side of the log or cant.Provided the wood is adequately supported and free of vibration duringflacing, then quality flakes are cut and a quality surface is produced.

The movement of the wood must be controlled and the wood supportedduring flacing for the production of quality flakes and surfaces. Anyundesired movement or vibration interferes with the cutting of qualityflakes and surfaces.

Knots, decay and other defects in logs must be considered such thatknots are cut generally across the axis of the knot and loose anddecayed particles do not contaminate the flake supply.

Capability is needed to process the full range of log sizes and qualityto eliminate dividing the tree between mills, sorting of logs for sizeand quality and to provide an outlet for thinnings, culls, dead treesand quality roundwood of larger size all in the same primary mill.

All sawdust from outside cuts, the slabs, edgings, thins, trims, wasteveneer, cores and the like must be eliminated by reducing this materialto desired flakes in the first instance.

The flacer with its driving motor and flake collector is necessarily aheavy and substantial object weighing in nearest round figures about twotons. It is necessary to be able to introduce it and remove it from theflacing area and do this quickly, accurately and at low cost.

Capability is needed to reduce an entire log to desired flakes or toselect out and distribute long timbers, short timbers, clears, shop orfactory and common lumber from adequate roundwood.

An apparatus combination is needed employing flaking or chipping andsurfacing heads; an apparatus which is universally useful, standardizedin a few sizes and mass produced for quality, interchangeability ofparts and low cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A new flacer mill for the primary breakdown ofthinnings, generally 4 to 8 inches in diameter, to bark and wood flakesand for the reduction of generally 8 inch diameter and larger roundwoodto bark and wood flakes and selectively to wood flakes and programmedlengths of rectangular lumber products.

Small thinnings and the like are delivered to one incoming log deckusually on light duty trucks while 8 inch and larger roundwood isdelivered by heavier equipment to another incoming roundwood deck.

Prospective lumber containing roundwood is cutoff to programmed lumberlength, debarked and delivered to the first flacer station. Logsgenerally from 8 to l6- inches in diameter are reduced to wood flakes orselec- I tively reduced to wood flakes and rectangular lumber products.

With the above as a nucleus, capability is added in process steps andparting means (1) for breakdown of larger diameter roundwood to lumber,(2) in log cutoff, debarking, trim and distribution means for breakdownof long timber roundwood to long timber length, to lumber of programmedlength and to long timbers, (3) for parting of clear cants and wideboards to lumber, distribution of clear lumber and short timbers to aproduct line, and (4) for programmed parting of timbers flaced fromselected cants to common lumber together with flacing selectively towidth.

The yield in rectangular lumber products, because of log taper, isgreater when short logs are processed. The cutoff of long lumbercontaining roundwood to a programmed log length simplifies debarking,eliminates trimming and also the sorting of lumber for length since onlyone length of lumber is produced at one time.

Efficient dry debarking is one of the first steps in the primarybreakdown of roundwood. Many types and varieties of debarkers are nowcommercially available. Common log handling steps and costly equipmentare involved together with quality of the primary products. Somedebarkers have limitations in log diameter, others in length of logs.Logs free of bark first of all and bark free of wood as a secondaryconsideration are desired.

There are two main types of debarkers, i.e., the rotating ring and therotating log debarkers. Rotating ring debarkers are very good for smallroundwood, but are always limited in log diameter. A large ring barkeris costly and not very good for small logs. A rotating log debarkerusing overlog rosser or abrading heads is not limited in log diameter,offers operator inspection and rerun if needed and lends itself toprogrammed sequence operation on uniform length logs. While notparticularly high output per hour, it is adequate or balanced with theproduction rate of the larger log portion of a flacer mill.

While other debarkers may be used, the rotating ring debarker with aroll feed is preferred for the 4 to 8 inch thinnings and the like andthe rotating log debarker is preferred for roundwood over 8 inches indiameter.

For logs over- 8 inches in diameter a log carriage in combination with aflacer provides support for the round log and flexibility in allowancefor diameter, knots, taper, sweep, decay and other defects. A verticalpositioner for the flacer drive provides flexibility in position of theflacer for variations in log diameter.

A horizontal positioner could also be used. However, a verticalpositioner is needed in any case to provide for variations in logdiameter. A quick and accurate horizontal positioner for a mass of 2tons is complex, costly and imparts a heavy horizontal reaction to thesuperstructure of a mill. Any error in position or from vibration isreflected in the product.

A flacer could cut its way into or out ofa vertical position (with theaxis of rotation horizontal), but not a horizontal position. A verticalpositioner needs to be fast, but not particularly accurate in verticalposition. A variation of an inch or so one way or another is not usuallyimportant. Reactions from quick movements of the flacer and drive wouldgo vertically to the foundation. A vertical positioner can be used tointroduce a flacer to or remove it from a flacing area. It can also beused to expose the face of the flacer for exchange of cutterheads. Asingle vertical positioner could be standardized and mass produced forquality, interchangeability of parts and low cost.

lt is a feature of the present invention to provide process steps and alog carriage and flacer for the flacing of a larger log providing a flatface for feeding for subsequent reduction to flakes or as a face or sidefor a rectangular timber or lumber.

Another feature is to provide process'steps employing a verticalpositioning meansfor introduction to and removal of the flacer from theflacing area and for exchange of cutterheads.

An adjustment for flacer face angle position is provided between theflacer drive motor and the vertical positioner preferably rotatable onan axis behind or opposite the flacing area such that a change in faceclearance angle does not change the face position.

Another adjustment is provided between the flacer motor drive and thevertical positioner in a horizontal slide for adjustment of faceposition of the flacer.

In the primary breakdown of roundwood from a tree farm, there are timeswhen many small 8 to 16 inch logs must be processed. These can best beflaced on two adjoining sides, on a third side or squared by means of alog carriage and flacer combination and at rates such that it will benecessary to have two such units available. These steps can best beperformed by a second log carriage and flacer of the present invention.

After flacing three sides of a log or cant, it may be desired to flacethe fourth side to a rectangular timber or it may be discovered that thepiece is defective as lumber and that it is best to reduce the entirepiece to flakes.

Another feature is to provide process steps and apparatus providingfeeding surfaces on logs, feeding means and a succession of flacersvertically introduceable to and removable from the flacing area forselective flacing of a cant to width or for reduction to desired flakes.

The above outlines the basic flacer mill comprising small 4 to 8 inchdiameter log debarking and flaking station, designated as station AA; an8 inch and larger mill comprising a roundwood cutoff and debarkingstation, a log flacing station, a second log flacing station and finalsuccessive flacing and flaking station, each designated as station A, B,C and D. Each of the stationsis under control of operators AA, A, B,-Cand D respectively.

The two lines can be operated simultaneously or independently dependentupon the wood supply and other factors and providing 2 independentsources for the desired steady production of the wood flakes.

The process steps of the present invention apply to the 8 inch andlarger roundwood stations where flakes are the dominant product withrectangular timbers and lumber the secondaries or residuals of flakeproduction.

For the breakdown of larger diameter logs to cants and boards a partingmeans may be added after the flacer with the parting line in the flacingarea andon the face line of the flacer.

In a combination ofa log carriage, flacer with vertical positioner andparting means, it is necessary to provide a carriage drive capable ofprogramming the feed rate to the flacer. A saw or other parting meansalso has an optimum feed rate for a given depth of cut, quality ofsurface and other factors. The sawyer does-the same work he didheretofore, but uses the flacer instead of the saw for all outside cutsreducing formerly waste material to desired flakes in the firstinstance. Since he no longer does destructive work, he has eliminatedthe labor and equipment formerly required to dispose of the waste. Hecan afford" to work more carefully, at a slower and more sensible rate.Also, a programmed feed to the saw or other parting means is availableto him for the inside or parting cuts which means he can use a thinnersaw, requiring less power, producing less deflection, taking less kerf,cutting a smoother face and increasing the accuracy and yield of lumber.

The flacer may now be used for all outside cuts on a log, cants or boardand a parting means may be used for all inside cuts in the breaking downof logs or low grade portions of a log may now be selectively reduced todesired flakes.

When long timbers or long framing lumber is to be cut from long timbers,it is necessary to provide for trimming of long boards from the outsideof the log to programmed lumber length. A trimmer is costly, requiresmuch space and at least one extra man. It would be needed onlyoccasionally. Once a fishtailed end has been parted and trimmed itcannot be supported to be reduced to desired flakes. Sawdust is alsoproduced in parting it from the parent log.

The carriage and log, after flacing of one side, can now be accuratelypositioned in front of the parting means with respect to the end of thelog and a fixed log end line. Photoelectric cells or other means may beused to position the end of the log through controls of the carriagedrive. A trim means can be installed adjustable in position with respectto the fixed log end line such that lumber portions set out by thecarriage knees can be trimmed to programmed lumber length prior toparting of the cant or board. The log would be-set out the desiredamount, the trim cut made followed by parting of the cant or board. Theremainder would then be reduced to flakes along the parting line by theflacer.

To provide long timber and long framing lumber capability, a long timbercutoff means and long log debarker section are added to station A; aquick coupled trailer log carriage, control means for positioning of logand carriages with respect to a log end line; means for trimming to theto the parting line of lumber portions to programmed lumber length andmeans for distribution of long timber or framing lumber to a productline are added to station B. When long timbers free of heart centers areto be produced, a long carriage and trimmer are added to station C.

For the parting of clear cants to clear lumber and of wide boards tonarrow boards, aparting means is added after the flacer of station C,with the parting line on the face line of the flacer together with adistribution means for lumber and timbers flaced and parted at stationC.

To provide capability in reducing selected cants flaced selectively towidth at station D, at least one and in most cases a plurality ofhorizontal parting means will be added to the outfeed line of station D.

The complete flacer mill is capable of producing bark, t hick or thinflakes by exchange of cutterheads, chips by use of chipping andsurfacing heads and the full range of selected rectangular timber andlumber products from adequate roundwood.

In a new flacer based wood industry, the old division of logs to lumber,plywood and pulp must, of course, be discarded. Instead of the -oldclassification, logs in the flacer mill as used hereinafter areclassified to clear, common or flake logs as follows:

Clear log generally the lower part of a large tree; containes flake woodin the rounded, tapered and defective portions, clear wood (relativelyfree of knots) dimensionally and otherwise suited for rectangular clearlumber and common wood (knotty) dimensionally and otherwise suited forcommon rectangular timbers and lumber;

Common loggenerally a mid section of a mature tree or the lower sectionof a smaller tree; contains flake wood in rounded, tapered and defectiveportions and common wood dimensionally and otherwise suited for commontimbers and lumber;

Flake loggenerally the upper section of a large tree or an entire smalltree; contains wood dimensionally and otherwise suited only for chips orflakes. Thinnings and the like 4 to 8 inches in diameter are flake logs.The knots generally are not large enough in small thinnings to requireflacing on the four sides to reduce the size of the knot to such a sizeto permit flacing along the axis of a knot.

Thick flakes may be more uniform than chips, but are used in the samesecondary processes and have about the same utility and value asconventional chips.

Thin flakes, however, have new utility in flacer plywood and as a newraw material for new chemical processing and therefore are of highervalue than thick flakes or chips.

Applicant has discovered that partially decayed wood is readily cut intouseable flakes while fully decayed wood is not strong enough to supportitself during flacing so that it and any loose material on the surfaceof a log are simply brushed aside by the flacer.

Also, applicant has discovered that, in general, a deviation fromparallel of the cutting edges with the grain of the wood of about 30degrees is satisfactory. Stated simply, the width of face to be flacedshould not exceed half the diameter of the face of the flacer. Thisobjective is realized in the process and apparatus of the presentinvention.

The squaring of a log or the breakdown by turning as on a log carriageresults in desired cutting of a knot generally across the axis of a knotproducing both quality flakes and surfaces.

Automation is generally desired in any new process. Full automationrequires mechanization, continuous processing and feedback control.However, each log is unique and individual. The selective breakdown of atree or log to flakes and rectangular lumber products may be mechanized,but is only a continuous selection of batch operations and is notsubject to feedback control.

The selective breakdown of logs to flakes and lumber products,whileinvolving flacing and parting, is also a grading operation. Thegrading of logs, lumber and timbers is done by visual inspection. Visualinspection must be used for decisions as to where to flace and part logsto flakes and rectangular wood products.

Therefore, a new process for the selective primary breakdown ofroundwood is not subject to automation. It must instead be controlled bya skilled man aided by mechanization, step processing and programming ofthe work to be performed.

Thin flakes, as a raw material, lend themselves to automated secondaryprocessing. Thin flakes are not, as a practical matter, storable ortransportable, but must be produced and processed on a continuous basis.Acceptable processes are avilable for integrated dry secondaryprocessing of thin flakes to flacer plywood, strand oriented board andthe like.

Thick flakes or chips are transportable and storable. However, transportand storage are costly and useless. It is best to eliminate thementirely. This may be accomplished in the case of dry and semi-dry chipbased mechanical pulp processes integrated with the flacer mill. Whentransport of thick flakes or chips to chemical pulp mills is necessary,it is less costly on a steady scheduled basis.

Rough green timbers and lumber are the raw material for batch secondaryprocessing. Timbers and lumber produced as a recessive product by theflacer mill at varying rates dependent on logs and demand may be stored,accumulated and unstored for sequence batch processing.

The process and apparatus of the present invention ends the primarydivision of the industry since all roundwood may be brought to theflacer mill and selectively reduced to desired flakes for flacerplywood, for new chemcial and thermal processing, for conventionalpulping and to selected rectangular timber and lumber products.

The new flacer mill has a nominal capacity of 20,000 tons of 4 to 8 inchthinnings per year and 50,000M board feet log scale of '8 inch diameterand larger roundwood. The mill is preferably located within a tree farmarea for economical collection of roundwood. On a sustained yield basis,an average haul distance of to miles is generally attainable. Thinningsand the like are delivered by light equipment while 8 inch and largerroundwood is delivered in tree length, maximum truck length or thelargest sizes practicable reducing labor and equipment in the woods to aminimum. The mill is designed for continuous operation for economies incost of purchased power, capital, labor, for elimination of in-processinventory, benefits of continuous secondary processing and otherfactors. Secondary processing of primary products is preferablyintegrated with the flacer mill except for chemical pulp. Thick flakesproduced by the flacer mill are transportable to the chemical pulp millusually located with respect to water supply and effluent-disposalfactors.

All sawdust from outside cuts, the slabs, edgings, tapers, thins andtrims, waste veneer and cores formerly produced are now reduced todesired flakes in the first instance. Wood formerly sorted out andclassed as pulpwood may now be brought with other roundwood to theflacer mill for reduction to flakes selectively recovering anyrectangular lumber products. Roundwood, thinnings and the like formerlyuseable only for chips may now be converted to thin flakes having newutility and value. Labor and equipment formerly required to sort, conveyand dispose of waste products are eliminated.

A yield in useful and high value saleable products in excess of 90 percent is attainable. An operator can now produce flacer plywood andlumber or thick flakes and lumber. He can double the return from theforest in many cases and realize substantial savings in labor,

transportation and equipment costs. He can pay more to the tree farmer.

The new process and flacer mill is universally useful, may bestandardized and mass produced in a few sizes such that benefits ofquality, interchangeability of parts and low cost inherent in massproduction may be realized and made available to the wood industry. Thenew mill is capable of supplanting and rendering obsolete known andexisting sawmills, structural veneer mills and chip mills thereby endingthe present wasteful and costly division of the industry into threeprimary divisions each competing with the other for logs and markets.Thinnings and cull trees formerly unmarketable, may now be profitablyutilized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a step by step process chartfor the primary breakdown of tree length, maximum truck length and otherroundwood, generally from 8 to 24 inches in butt diameter, to bark, woodflakes and rectangular timbers of programmed length.'

FIG. 2 is a chart of additional steps necessary in the breakdown oflarger logs to wood flakes, cants and boards.

FIG. 3 is a chart of additional steps necessary in the breakdown of longtimber logs to long timbers and lumber of programmed length and in thedistribution of long timbers.

FIG. 4 is a chart'of additional process steps necessary in the breakdownof wide boards and clear cants to lumber and distribution to a lumberand timber product line.

FIG. 5 is a chart of additional steps necessary in the reduction ofselected cants to lumber of programmed thickness simultaneous withflacing to a rectangular timber.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the operating floor of the basic flacer millcomprising breakdown station AA for thinnings and stations A, B, C and Dfor 8 inch diameter and larger roundwood.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of station B of the flacer mill with the additionof a vertical parting means (band saw) following the flacer.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of stationsA and B of the flacer mill showing theaddition of long timber cutoff means and long log debarker means tostation A; trailer carriage, vertical trimmer, long timber distributionmeans and product line to station B.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of station C of the flacer mill with addition ofvertical parting means (band saw) following the flacer,,clear lumber andtimber distribution means and product line.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of station D of the flacer mill with addition ofa plurality of horizontal parting means (band saws) for parting ofrectangular timbers to lumber of programmed thickness.

FIG. 11 is a sectional elevation 11 of FIG. 7 showing the verticalparting means added to station B.

FIG. 12 is a sectional elevational view 12 of FIG. 8 showing thevertical trimmer at station B trimming the lumber portion of a logmounted on the carriage to the parting line.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view 13 showing the flaced log on the carriagewith the lumber portion being trimmed to the parting line at programmedlength from the end of the log and a fixed log end line.

FIG. 14 is a sectional elevational view 14 of FIG. 10 showing aplurality of horizontal parting means (band saws) for parting of timbersat station D to programmed thickness lumber.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the flacer drive, flake collector'and slidefor the vertical positioner.

FIG. 16 is a sectional elevational view 16 of FIG. 6 showing the flacerdrive, the flake collector, vertical slide and positioning means.

FIG. 17 is a sectional elevational view 17 of FIG. 6 showing the log onthe carriage, the flacer and drive, the flake collector and flexibleexhauster hose, the vertical slide, the positioner and the hoggedmaterial conveyor.

FIG. 18 is an isometric view of the flake collector flange mounted onthe flacer drive motor, the face angle clearance adjustment and the faceposition adjustment.

FIG. 19 is a sectional elevational view 19 of FIG. 6 showing the infeedside of the flacer drive at station D.

FIG. 20 is a sectional elevational view 20 showing a side view of aflacer at station D.

' DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The process steps to befollowed in each of the five stages of development of the flacermill forthe primary breakdown of roundwood generally from 8 inch buttdiameterand larger are fully illustrated and described in FIG.s 1through 5.

The operating floor of the new flacer mill shown in FIGS. 6 through ispreferably 8 to 12 feet above ground level. On the ground floor (notshown) are conventional bark conveyor; cutoff, hog and trim conveyor,parting material exhauster duct, hydraulic, electrical and otheraccessory equipment.

Conventional equipment on the operating floor used in combination withnew equipment mainly to convey, cutoff, debark, load, trim, turn, part,unload and distribute is defined as follows:

Conveyor a traveling belt, chain, concave or cylindrical roll deviceusually driven by an electric motor through a gear box and roller chaindrive for longitudinal movement of logs, cants, timbers and boards;

Cutoff means a chain, circular or reciprocating saw or other suitablemeans;

Transfer multiple parallel traveling chains or belts usually driven byan electric motor through a gear box and line shaft for transversemovment of logs, cants, timbers and lumber;

Ejector pusher arms and other conventional devices usually actuated byan air or hydraulic cylinder for ejecting a log or cant from a conveyor;

Log loader and turner conventional devices at the loading position of alog carriage for feeding-of one log at a time, loading and turning oflogs, cants and boards on or against the knees of a log carriage;

Log carriage a rail mounted carriage generally running on one V and oneflat rail, usually propelled by a direct current motor with speedcontrol through a cable, drum and sheave combination, with two or moreknees and means for holding logs, cants and boards of varying sizes andshapes while flacing and parting; the positioning and holding of thelog, travel and position of the carriage remotely controlled by theoperator.

Trim and parting means laser beam, hydraulic jet, conventional chain,band, circular or reciprocating saw, knife'or any other suitable means;

Controls electrical starters, breakers, relays, interlocks, selectorswitches, push buttons and other standard items of electrical gearnormally selected and wired by any competent electrical engineer toperform the manual, sequence and memory steps outlined.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the four breakdown stations comprising thebasic flacer mill are shown under control of operators A, B, C and D.Roundwood of like or compatible species, generally 8 inches in diameterand larger, is delivered in random size to incoming roundwood deck 11 bylog transfer, log lift truck or other means not shown with butt endstoward station A. Presumably, all roundwood is of like or compatiblespe-' cies, but mistakes do occur and sometimes it is necessary toinclude off-species in a load. Any off-species roundwood is ejected byoperator A to an off-species conveyor for delivery to storage and usewhen this species is being processed.

Station A comprises incoming conveyor 20, end stop 21, log cutoff means22 movable along conveyor with respect to end stop 21 for cutoff ofroundwood to programmed log length; a rotating log type debarker anddebarking head 23 arranged to travel over the log as it is rotatingremoving the bark as it travels the length of the log and an off-lengthlog conveyor together with necessary ,ejectors, manual and sequencecontrols under operator A.

Station B comprises incoming log transfer 24A, log carriage 24, carriagedrive 25, flacer and drive 26 and off-bear rolls 27, all under controlof operator B.

Station C comprises incoming log and cant transfer 28A, log carriage 28,carriage drive 29, flacer 30 and off-bear rolls 31 all under control ofoperator C.

Station D comprises cant and board incoming transfer 32A, angled infeedrolls 32, vertical feeding wall 33, the succession of flacers 36 eachspaced a nominal incremental stage of 2 inches nearer to the verticalfeeding wall with the final flacer merely clearingthe wall, outfeedrolls 34, pushbutton selector chains 35 together with memory and othernecessary controls all under operator D.

Optional hogging cutters for combined hogging of limbs, flares and otherprotuberances and flacing are used at stations B, C and on the first ofthe succession of flacers at D, but not on those following since theyare unnecessary.

A computer operates on the principle of many I or 0, onor off, in or outdecisions; this principle is utilized in the vertical positioner of theflacer drive. With the vertical positioner, the flacer is either in orout, referred to hereafter as in-position or out-position, of theflacing area. The positioner also provides for variations in diameter oflogs and to expose the face of the heads for exchange of cutterheads.

A small monorail crane system (not shown) preferably is used forexchange of flacer heads.

Lugged transfer chains on the infeed transfers to station C and D spacethe flaced logs and cants uniformly on the transfers.

At stations B and C, the flacers are normally at inposition, butadjustable vertically by the operator for variations in log diameter orsize of cant or board. At station D, all flacers are normally atin-position. The first of the seven successive flacers will flace a cantto norminal 12 inch width. Each succeeding flacer will flace to 10, 8,6, 4, 2 and 0 inch width respectively.

An over-riding hold down roll (not shown) may be used at each flacer tohold thecant down firmly on the feed rolls. A conventional pineapplefeed roll may be used at the infeed point to assure quick accelerationof the cant to proper infeed speed. The longitudinal component of theangled infeed rolls provides the proper infeed velocity while thehorizontal component holds the cant against the feeding wall whilefeeding longitudinally to the succession of flacers.

While lumber is nominally sized in multiples of one inch in thicknessand two inches in width, the commercial sizes are such that multiples ofthickness do not equal multiples of width. The flacers of station D,therefore, can be set up to flace cants and boards to width only ifdesired. All cants and boards have to be sized to thickness at stationsB or C followed by flacing selectively to width at station D. All cantsand boads have to be fed with the flat or width side down on the feedingrolls and with a flat side against the feeding wall.

It is to be noted that each cant discharged from station B and fromstation C is discharged with the flaced side forward and in properposition without turning to be flaced at the next succeeding station.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the flacers at station D drop out of theflacing area selectively for flacing to width. If an 8 inch width is tobe flaced, flacers 6, 4, 2 and inch drop out of flacing position as atypical example.

A memory control system is needed at station D. For lumber a maximumwidth of 12 inches is standard. Normally, all flacers are at in-positionfor reduction of flake cants to flakes. For selective flacing of lumbercants to width, six selections are required as follows:

Lumber width A simple system is to install six chains 35, FIG. 6, of thesame pitch as the transfer chains, traveling with the transfer chains infront of operator D, each with a mechanical push button opposite thecant on the lugged transfer chains. Operator D inspects each cant. If noputton is pushed, the cant is reduced to flakes. Pushing button 12 inchdrops out flacers inch and all of the following succession of flacerswhen the cant or board is delivered to the infeed rolls. Pushing button6 inch drops out flacers 4, 2 and 0 inch and so on. As the push buttonin the chain arrives with its cant or board at the infeed rolls, ittrips an electrical switch which through electrical controls actuate thehydraulic positioners dropping the proper flacers out of in-position.The transfer chain speed is such that the programmed length of thepreceding piece clears the succession of flacers before the next cant orboard arrives at the infeed rolls. As each piece clears, the flacersreturn to inposition.

The process steps of FIG. 1 are for the breakdown of long roundwood,generally from 8 to 24 inches in diameter, to any bark, to wood flakesand selectively to wood flakes and rectangular timbers of programmedlength employing the basic flacer mill of FIG. 6.

Capability for the breakdown of logs generally over 16 inches indiameter to cants and boards is provided in the additional process stepsof FIG. 2 and in the flacer mill by addition of a parting means, in thiscase a band saw 50, to station B of FIG. 7 directly after the flacer 26and with the parting line on the face line of the flacer. An elevationalview of the parting means 50 is shown in FIG. 11.

Capability for the production of long timbers from adequate roundwood isprovided in the process steps of FIG. 3 and'in the flacer mill by thefurther addition, as shown in FIG. 8, of long roundwood cutoff means 60adjustable with respect to log end stops 21. FIG. 8 also shows longtimber log debarker section 61, extra log transfer chains 62, trailerlog carriage 63 with quick coupling 64 to attach to main carriage 24under control of operator B. Additionally there will be fixed log endline 65, and vertical trim means 66 also shown in FIG. 12, positionablealong carriage rail beam with respect to log end line for parting oflumber portions of long timber log to programmed lumber length. Lastlythere will be a vertically introduceable and removable stop means 67 inoff-bear roll conveyor 27 and long timber product line roll conveyor 68.

FIG. 12 further illustrates the trimmer of the present invention shownin FIG. 13 employing chain saw 66 powered by an electric motorpreferably, mounted on a vertical slide and introduceable horizontallyand vertically for trimming of the lumber portion of a flaced or partedlog, set out on the carriage, to the parting line by means of anhydraulic cylinder 69 or other suitable means. In FIG. 13, the slidesupport 70 is shown mounted on suitable ways on the track beampositionable with respect to log end line 65 by means of powered drumand cable system 71 under control of operator B.

In the case of very long timbers, a second trimmer may be added andadjustable in position by operator B. The second trimmer may be aprogrammed lumber length from the first trimmer shown such that the longlumber portions may be trimmed to two pieces of lumber of programmedlumber length.

Capability for the production of clear boards from clear'cants, widefactory and shop lumpber and short timbers is provided in process stepsof FIG. 4 and is carried out in the flacer mill by addition of avertical parting means 80, also a band saw, to station C of FIG. 9. Theband saw will be mounted after the flacer with the parting line on theface line of flacer 30. Also in cluded are a vertically introduceableand removable stop means 81 in off-bear roll conveyor 31 under controlof operator C; clear and shop lumber product line 82; and timber shearor diverter 83 and timber product line 84. The shear 83 allows clear andshop lumber to go under it on roll conveyor and product line 82 whiletimbers are sheared off onto roll conveyor and product line 84.

Capability for the programmed parting of cants selectively flaced towidth to common lumber of programmed thickness is provided in additionalprocess steps of FIG. 5 and in the flacer mill by addition of at leastone horizontal parting means to the outfeed roll conveyor of station Dasshown in FIG. 10. In this case, band saw parting means are addedfurther illustrated in elevational view of FIG. 14.

In FIG. 15, flacer head assembly is shown mounted on drive motor 101,which is mounted in turn on the vertical positioner 102, slideablysupported on slide support 103. Flake collector hood 104 is mountedintegrally with the motor frame and mates with the discharge side ofclosure head assembly of the flacer of my companion application whenthis cutterhead assembly is used.

FIG. 16 shows the flacer drive at in-position and at out-position forstations B and C. These stations are basically the same except oppositehand. The flacer head 100 is shown on drive motor 101 supported by slide102 slideably supported on slide support 103. An hydraulic cylinder 105provides actuating means for the vertical positioning.

A counter balance (not shown) may be added to the positioner counteracting a portion of the weight of the flacer, drive and slide supportreducing the power required for quick vertical positioning of theflacer.

In FIG. 17, the flacer is shown at in-position and at out-position withrespect to a log mounted on a log carriage. A pressurized fluid hose 106supplies air or other ,fluid under pressure to the flacer head assembly.A

flexible hose 107 is shown to serve as a flexible conduit for the woodflakes from the flake collector and decelleration chamber 104 to theflake exhauster duct. A telescoping duct or other means for providingvertical positioning of the flacer and for collection of the flakes mayalso be used. Any limbs or other protuberances hogged from the side ofthe log fall into hogged material conveyor 43.

The isometric view of flacer drive in FIG. 18 shows the closure plateand flake collector 104 mounted on flacer drive motor 101. Aconventional machine slide 110 provides for adjustment of face positionof the flacer. A flat horizontal surface 11 on the top of the verticalpositioner provides for adjustment of face clearance angle. Preferably,the face clearance angle is rotatable about an axis directly oppositethe flacing area such that a change in face clearance angle does notchange the face position. Suitable bolts 112 lock the drive in properposition. If a telescoping flake duct is used, another telescoping jointshould be provided between the flake collector flange and thedecelleration chamber such that adjustment for face position may be madewithout disturbing the alignment 'of the telescoping vertical duct.

In FIGS. 19 and 20 the flacer drive is shown in relation to the infeed'rolls 32, the vertical feeding wall 33 and at both in-position andout-position for station D.

At station AA, in FIG. 6, small 4 to 8 inch thinnings and the like aredebarked using a rotating ring debarker 120 and reduced to flakes by asuccession of two pairs of opposed flacers 121 and 122. The first pairemploys hogging cutters to hog any material in excess of 8 inches. Avertical positioner, preferably standardized and mass produced with faceangle and position adjustment, is used for each flacer drive and forexposing the heads for exchange of cutterheads.

Referring again to FIG. 6, bark is delivered from the mill in groundfloor conveyor 40; cutoff, hog and trim material in conveyor4l; partingmaterial in exhauster duct 42 and flakes in exhauster duct 43 alllocated below the operating floor.

In a typical operation, 4 to 8 inch roundwood is delivered to incomingdeck of station AA by light equipment while 8 inch and larger roundwoodis delivered by heavier equipment with butt end towards station A toincoming deck of station A. Any off-species roundwood is ejected tooff-species conveyor by operator AA and by operator A for delivery tostorage and processing at another time.

Preferably, the flacer mill is operated as a product mill. Stations AAand stations A, B, C and D are operated cooperatively to produce thedesired steady production per hour of flakes for integrated secondaryprocessing or for schedules transport to conventional pulp mills. Alumber program may call for one length of lumber at one time and onethickness of clear or shop and another thickness of common lumber fromadequate roundwood with all multiples of width to recover the greatestyield in lumber product when desired. A long timber may be produced atany time an adequate log is delivered and the product is desired.Sorting of roundwood for size, except for what normally takes place inharvesting, is eliminated. In many cases, a single size of lumberproduct may be produced at one time, depending on log supply andmarkets, eliminating sorting of lumber product for size entirely.Off-length logs may be distributed to off-length conveyor by operator Afor delivery to storage for use at another time when this length of logis being processed.

A flacer mill for lumber up to 20 feet in length is considered byapplicant to be the best and most universally useful size. Long timberand framing lumber capability may be provided to most any practicallength. In areas where smaller timber prevails, shorter mills may bedesired.

Bolts for decorative veneer may be cut from a log, debarked anddelivered from the mill using the offlength and off-species conveyor.Logs of one species and length accumulated in storage may be returned tothe mill for processing using the same conveyor.

There'is much flexibility in the new flacer mill. The cutterheads may bequickly exchanged for replacement or change of flake size. The productmay be all flakes or flakes and selected timber and lumber products. Theprogrammed lumber size may be changed at any time. Lumber will be moreaccurately sized and smoother of surface than heretofore improvingyield, kiln drying and reducing loss in shavings from secondaryoperations.

At station D, the final flacer in the succession may be installedopposite hand and opposed to the preceding flacer reducing the spacerequired for the succession. In cases where no lumber less than 4 inchnominal width is to be produced, the 2 inch flacer could be installedopposite the 4 inch and the final flacer in the succession opposite the6 inch providing for better flaking of small logs having only one flatfeeding face and further reducing space requirements. Other modifica--tions could also be made without departing from the spirit and essenceof the present invention.

The above, in the belief of the applicant, is a full and completedisclosure of the present unique process and apparatus inventionproviding a high yield, universally useful, process and flacer millwhich may be standardized and mass produced in a few sizes for quality,interchangeability of parts and low cost a full solution to the manyproblems outlined together with other incidental and importantadvantages. I

What 1 claim is:

l. A primary breakdown station for debarked logs comprising:

a. a log carriage and carriage drive capable of controlled rate ofinfeed; b. a flacer drive motor; c. flake collector flange and flakedecelleration chamber;

(1. face position adjustment means;

e. face clearance angle adjustment means; and

f. vertical positioner.

prising:

'2. The combination of claim 1 and including parting means mounted aftersaid flacer with the parting means in the flacing area and on the faceline of the flacer.

3. The combination of claim 2 including:

a. distribution means for the distribution of selected 5 rectangularlumber products to a product line; and

b. a selected rectangular lumber product line.

4. The combination of claim 2 and including:

a. log end and log carriage positioning means with respect to a fixedlog end line; and

b. vertically introduceable and removeable trim means positionable withrespect to said fixed log end line for trimming of the lumber portion ofa flaced log on said carriage to the parting line.

5. The combination of claim 3 and including a trailer log carriage withoperator controlled means for coupling and uncoupling with said poweredlog carriage.

6. A trim means of the character described for use in a. a trim means;and

b. a vertical positioner for introduction of said trim means to andremoval from the trimming area.

7. A cant and board flacing and flaking station coma. an infeed conveyorin cooperation with a vertical feeding wall;

b. a succession of flacer drive assemblies each comprising a drivingmotor, a flake collector flange and decelleration chamber, a faceposition adjustment means, a face clearance angle adjustment means and avertical positioner mounted by incremental stages successively nearer tosaid feeding wall with the final flacer capable of flaking to feedingline of said feeding wall; and

c. an outfeed conveyor.

8. The combination of claim 7 and including:

a. an infeed cant and board transfer; and

b. a selection station comprising a plurality of chains synchronizedwith said transfer chains each carrying a mechanical push buttonopposite the lugs on said transfer chains serving as a memory bank forthe decision of disposition of the board or cant opposite said selectivepush button whereby a control switch will be tripped actuating saidflacer positioners conforming with operator's decision as to dispositionof said cant or board.

9. The combination of claim 7 and including at least one horizontalparting means a programmed thickness above the outfeed conveyor and inthe outfeed conveyor line.

10. A flacer drive comprising:

a. driving motor with extended shift 7 suitable for mounting of aflaking or chipping and surfacing head assembly;

b. flake collection closure member and flake decelleration chamber;

c. face position slide mount for said motor drive and said flakecollection closure member and flake decelleration chamber;

d. face clearance angle adjustment means;

e. a vertically movable flacer drive support means;

and

f. a vertical positioning means.

1. A primary breakdown station for debarked logs comprising: a. a logcarriage and carriage drive capable of controlled rate of infeed; b. aflacer drive motor; c. flake collector flange and flake decellerationchamber; d. face position adjustment means; e. face clearance angleadjustment means; and f. vertical positioner.
 2. The combination ofclaim 1 and including parting means mounted after said flacer with theparting means in the flacing area and on the face line of the flacer. 3.The combination of claim 2 including: a. distribution means for thedistribution of selected rectangular lumber products to a product line;and b. a selected rectangular lumber product line.
 4. The combination ofclaim 2 and including: a. log end and log carriage positioning meanswith respect to a fixed log end line; and b. vertically introduceableand removeable trim means positionable with respect to said fixed logend line for trimming of the lumber portion of a flaced log on saidcarriage to the parting line.
 5. The combination of claim 3 andincluding a trailer log carriage with operator controlled means forcoupling and uncoupling with said powered log carriage.
 6. A trim meansof the character described for use in combination with a log carriagefor trimming of a lumber portion of a log to a parting line comprising:a. a trim means; and b. a vertical positioner for introduction of saidtrim means to and removal from the trimming area.
 7. A cant and boardflacing and flaking station comprising: a. an infeed conveyor incooperation with a vertical feeding wall; b. a succession of flacerdrive assemblies each comprising a driving motor, a flake collectorflange and decelleration chamber, a face position adjustment means, aface clearance angle adjustment means and a vertical positioner mountedby incremental stages successively nearer to said feeding wall with thefinal flacer capable of flaking to feeding line of said feeding wall;and c. an outfeed conveyor.
 8. The combination of claim 7 and including:a. an infeed cant and board transfer; and b. a selection stationcomprising a plurality of chains synchronized with said transfer chainseach carrying a mechanical push button opposite the lugs on saidtransfer chains serving as a memory bank for the decision of dispositionof the board or cant opposite said selective push button whereby acontrol switch will be tripped actuating said flacer positionersconforming with operator''s decision as to disposition of said cant orboard.
 9. The combination of claim 7 and including at least onehorizontal parting means a programmed thickness above the outfeedconveyor and in the outfeed conveyor line.
 10. A flacer drivecomprising: a. driving motor with extended shift suitable for mountingof a flaking or chipping and surfacing head assembly; b. flakecollection closure member and flake decelleration chamber; c. faceposition slide mount for said motor drive and said flake collectionclosure member and flake decelleration chamber; d. face clearance angleadjustment means; e. a vertically movable flacer drive support means;and f. a vertical positioning means.